Method of making rakes, forks, and the like.



L. S. WHITNEY.

METHOD OF MAKING RAKES, FORKS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10. 1913.

Patented June 8, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- THE NORRIS PETERS CO PHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON, D. C

L. S WHITNEY.

METHOD OF MAKING RAKES, FORKS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED lULY 10. I913.

1,M2,0Q1, Patented June 8,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

5 I400 Mo's 5. 93, Ma atroi i ffjmm i LARNEI) S. WHITNEY, 0F FISKDALE, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MAKING RAKES, FORKS, AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LARNED S. WHITNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fiskdale, in Worcester county, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Method of Making Rakes, Forks, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing all kinds of rake-like and fork-like implements, such as, for example, level-head rakes, curved tooth rakes, bowrakes, bow-braced rakes, gravel rakes, road rakes, asphalt rakes, hay forks, header forks, manure forks, spading forks, barley forks, digging forks, coke forks, coalforks, stone forks, ballast forks, tanners forks, sluice forks, ensilage forks, oyster forks,beet forks, potato hooks, stone hooks, manure hooks, and clam hooks. l

The objectof my invention is to furnish a simple and economical method of manu facturing the above mentioned implements and the like which will produce superior and durable products.

The accompanying drawings show the condition of the material operated upon after the successive steps of a method in volving my invention as applied to the manufacture of a rake.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the stock; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the stock on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the stock after forging; Fig. A} is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 8; Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5 -5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the stock after forging showing a section on line 55 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a plan View of the stock after severing; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the stock after partial straightening of the tines; and Fig. 9 is a plan view of the finalstock after the shaping of the tines.

In the preferred method of carrying out my invention, I take a substantially flat strip or plate of steel or other metal, which may be termed the stock. The stock is preferably first heated. It is then pressed between dies and thus forged. The dies are so shaped that when the stock is pressed between them the portion of the material which is not to be used as the head and tines of the rake is pressed down or off-set from the portion of the material which is to be so used, which is hereinafter referred to as the blank. The upper die has a raised portion correspond- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

ing in shape and size to the portion of the stock which is to be pressed down or off-set, while the lower die has a raised portion corresponding to the size and shape of the blank. I have referred to the upper and lower dies and the pressing-down of a portion of the stock merely for convenience, and I do not desire to be limited to drop-forging the stock while it is in a horizontal position. It is obvious that the stock may be held vertical and the dies pressed against it sidewise or in any other direction without departing from my invention.

Figs. 3, 4C, 5, and 6, show the condition of the stock after forging. In Fig. 3, 1 repre sents the blank or portion of the stock from which the head and tines of the rake are to be made. 2 represents the portion of the stock which is off-set in the forging.

The dies used in the forging are preferably so shaped that the off-set portion of the stock 2 shall be of a shape suitable to be used as a blank for the head and tines of an other rake. This may be done by so forming the dies that the por ions 4 of the part 2 which are between the tines 5 of portion 1 shall form tines intermeshing with the tines 5. Ifthis is done, there is no considerable waste of metal, as the off-set portion 2 and the portion 1 use substantially all the metal of the stock.

The movement of the dies is preferably so regulated that the distance which they move toward each other after they have both come in contact with the surface of the a stock is slightly less than the thickness of the stock so that the portion of the stock which is off-set is not severed from the blank, the two portions remaining connect-, ed by a thin sheet of metal 3. The two portions are then severed, preferably by press ing the forged stock between two fiat dies so as to force the two portions back toward the same plane, thus severing the metal at 3 (Fig. 6). This gives more satisfactory results than forging and severing by a single operation, and I accordingly prefer to carry out the process in this way. The condition of the material after this step is shown in Fig. 7. The next step consists in straightening and shaping the tines of the blank or blanks which have been formed, thus form ing one or more rakes or forks. The portions 1 and 2 may be first separated, and the tines then straightened and shaped in any suitable way. It is, however, preferable to straighten and roll or draw out all the tines of a blank simultaneously.

A preferred way of straightening the tines in case blanks have been formed with intermeshing tines; which are wholly or .in

part oblique to the head portions of the blanks consists in first straightening or par tially straightening the tines while the,

blanks are in position with their tines intermeshing, as shown inFig. 7, by pressing upon one end of each blank in such a way as to cause relative longitudinal displacement of the blanks in such direction and to such extent that the tines are brought from an oblique position to a position more nearly perpendicular to the head portions of the blanks. Thus, blank 1 is forced'to the right? of Fig. 7, While blank 2 is held I stationary or forced to the left. The blanks may in some instances be advantageously heated before straightening them, and in order that the blank may not be bent or sprung-laterally, retaining means should be provided, as, for example, holding dies having flat surfaces like those used to sever the blanks. With the form of tines shown, the result of the operation described is to par tially straighten the tines of each blank. The shape of a blank after thisoperation is shown in'Fig. 8. After partial or complete straightening of the tines by longitudinal displacement of the blanks, the tines are I shaped or completely straightenedv and shaped by any suitable means.

The method described has many advantages over the method of making rakes by stamping out the blanks- Stamping involves the use of sharp-edged dies which cut out the metal. This method of making the blanks adds nothing to the strength of the metal of the tines, so that the tines are likely to break olf when an implement made by this method is used. My method of dropforging the blanks strengthens the metal of the tines and therefore renders them strong and durable. My preferred method of severing the blanks by pressing them-together breaks the metal cleanly andleaves no fin at the edge of the severed portion. Stamping dies are very expensive to manufacture and to keep in condition, for'they must be very accurately adjusted and their I edges must be kept sharp if they are to cut satisfactorily. The dies used in forging in my method are not required to do any cutting, can therefore be made comparatively cheaply, and do not readily wear out. This is particularly so when the preferred method of severing the blanks by pressing the forged stock between'fiat dies is used. My'method is therefore much more economical than stamping.

The method of myinvcntion has peculiar and special advantages when used in connection with rake blanks having intermeshing tines. Previous to my present invention, it has not been practicable to make two rake blanks with intermeshing tines from a single piece of stock except by stamping or cutting one blank from the'other. Therefore, rakes which have been made from intermeshing blanks have been comparatively expensive and of an inferior quality, with tines that are comparatively easily broken. It is generally recognized that to be useful and durable, the tines of a rake should be forged. The use of my method in connection with blanks with. intermeshing tines provides for the manufacture of rakes and forks with forged tines at low cost.

Although I haveused a rake to illustrate the process, the application of my invention to other tined implements willbe plainfrom the foregoing.

I claim V 1. A process of manufacturing tined im plements comprising pressing on opposite sides of a piece of stock with dies each shaped to cover a blank and so arranged.

that the tine portions of'one blank intermesh with the. tine portions of the other, continuing such pressure until the two blanks are off-set with respect to each other,

separating saidfblanks, and shaping the blanksthusobtained.

2. A process of manufacturing tined implements comprising pressing on opposite sides of a piece of stock with dies each shaped to cover a blank and so arranged that the'tine portions of one blank intermesh with the tine portions of the other, continuing such pressure untilthe portion of the. stock forming one blank is off-set and almost, but not quite, severed from the portion of the stock forming the other head portion of said blank and intermesh' ing with the tine portions of the other blank, pressing upon opposite ends of said blanks so-as to cause relative longitudinal displacement of'the blanks,'whereby'said tine portions are at least partially straightened while holding saidblanks against "laterally bending, and shaping saidblanks.

5'. A process of manufacturing tined implements, comprising pressing on opposite severing said blanks, pressing on opposite ends of said blanks so as to cause a relative 10 longitudinal displacement of said blanks whereby said tine portions are at least partially straightened, and shaping said blanks.

LARNED S. WHITNEY.

Witnesses:

HERMAN GUsToW, MARIE E. BURNS- (lopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

